


two spent swimmers

by lemonsona



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Awkward Hugs, Cooking, Friendship, Friendship Naps! Or Are They?, Gen, Huge day for Bazz fans, Huge day for Traysi fans!, Hugs, M/M, Panic Attacks, Post-Game(s), Rebuilding, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Slow Burn, Zelda Is Not A Therapist But She's Doing Her Best, and maybe.... Love?, jk hes in this like 5 seconds, jk. again, might have to add Zelda & Sidon bc wow theyre kinda besties, naps, the power of friendship and gay love WILL save the world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23308768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonsona/pseuds/lemonsona
Summary: Some things change, but some things stay the same. (Post BOTW end credits scene- what comes next? Rebuilding, rekindling, and rediscovery.)
Relationships: Link & Zelda, Link/Prince Sidon
Comments: 20
Kudos: 69





	1. chapter one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning.

The dust settles, and everything is different. The serene plain is on fire everywhere, clumps of Ganon’s malice goo burning clouds of thick smoke, and the sun is shining high in the sky, making him squint. And the strangest thing of all is Zelda, standing bright and golden and _real_ in front of him. She smiles at him. 

Everything is different, and yet everything feels so familiar, too. 

\---

It’s awkward. Not as bad as it could be, since he’s regained some of his memories, but there’s still the clear lack of a camaraderie that Zelda remembers. She keeps accidentally leaning into his space or reaching over to casually touch him, and her face crumples every time he reflexively flinches away. He’s not so used to people coming at him without the intent to kill these days. He knows familiarity will come in time, but Zelda’s already had that time. He’s making an effort- he really is- but sometimes it’s easy to look at her and see a friend, and sometimes it’s easy to look at her and see a stranger. He looks at her and tries to make sense of what he’s seeing, the Zelda of his memories superimposed over the real thing. She’s a little different, now, a little quieter. Sometimes her shoulders have a hard set to them and she can’t help looking over them constantly. They sleep next to the same fire, for safety, and nearly every night she’s woken up by nightmares. She tries to hide it, but Link knows what they look like, the cut-off breath when you wake and the fever chills. In his memories, she’s bright and spirited, never losing her sarcasm, even when the threat of Calamity Ganon hung over them, as mysterious as it was frightening. She’s different now, but that’s okay. Link is too. 

\-- 

She says they should visit Zora’s Domain to talk to King Dorephan about Mipha, so that’s where they go. Zelda’s a queen at heart, and he can tell she’s uncomfortable leaving Hyrule Castle alone, even though she left capable people in charge. Secretly, he feels the same way. Some part of him thinks that they’ll return to find the castle infested again, Ganon back in the Sanctum, like he never left. It’s an irrational fear, but he can’t help periodically bringing out his Sheikah slate and using the scope to make sure the castle is still free of malignant red clouds. 

He feels himself relax a little when they enter Zora’s Domain. Something about the swooping silver architecture and the sound of peacefully rushing water always soothes him. Plus, the Domain has- 

“Link, my beloved friend!” a voice bellows by his ear. Oh, here they go, he thinks, as two arms lift him in the air, squeezing. His laugh sounds a little breathless, all the air forced out of him by Sidon’s tight grip. Sidon sets him down but keeps a hold of his hands, looking straight into his eyes. “Link, we all felt it,” he continues, grinning. “You must have defeated Calamity Ganon! You’re truly a treasure, my friend. Have I mentioned how wonderful you are? And-” 

“And how thankful you are?” Link finishes, grinning. He knows the drill. “Yeah, you’ve mentioned.” 

Sidon beams at him, sharp teeth glinting. “I repeat it because it’s true, my dearest friend.” His eyes shift to Zelda, hovering by Link’s side with a strange expression on her face. “And who is _your_ friend?” 

Link abruptly remembers he’s not alone and everything has changed. He’s not just Link, friendly Hylian Hero anymore. Now he has to be Link, Sworn Protector of the Queen. He straightens up, shoulders settling into place. “This is Ze- _Queen_ Zelda,” he quickly amends. “She’s come to speak with King Dorephan about some… private matters. Queen Zelda, this is Prince Sidon.” He takes half a step backwards, so he’s positioned a little behind Zelda. 

Sidon looks a little puzzled by the sudden change in demeanor, but quickly recovers and kneels before Zelda. “Your Highness, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Sidon says, kissing her hand before standing up. “I’m truly gladdened to hear of your survival! We all truly assumed the worst when you disappeared one hundred years ago.” He drops his gaze. “And… forgive me if this is out of line, Your Highness, but…” Link has never seen Sidon hesitate before. “I haven’t spoken to my sister in quite some time, but she always spoke very highly of you.” 

Zelda swallows a couple of times before she’s able to speak. “That’s… very kind of you to say.” They still haven’t spoken much about the lost Champions, about all their friends. But Link still knows her well enough to know Zelda really is thankful to Sidon. 

Sidon gives her a small smile, the one that never fails to cheer Link up. He feels a small pain in his chest seeing him give it to someone else. “Well, let me take you to my father and you two can talk!” Sidon says, ushering them away. He makes polite conversation on the way up to the king’s dais, inquiring about Zelda’s health and the progress made with the castle’s reconstruction. Zelda answers him equally as politely, as Link sulks a couple steps behind them. He knows he put himself in this position, but it doesn’t mean he has to like it. 

When they make it all the way up the stairs, Zelda immediately goes in to see the king, and Link moves to follow her. He’s blocked by Sidon’s arm and looks up to see Sidon smiling at him, a little uncertainty. So many of Sidon’s expressions are filtered through smiles, Link thinks. “Surely she can spare you for a few minutes?” Sidon asks, tone light. 

“I really shouldn’t…” Link trails off. He wants to spend time with Sidon, but he also feels a coldness gripping his heart just thinking about leaving Zelda alone. What if something happens to her and he’s not there to stop it? 

“Come on,” Sidon cajoles. “It’s very safe in the domain, you know this. And my father’s bodyguards will be there the whole time.” 

Link knows this, but he still can’t help the panic that wells up in him. He looks up at Sidon helplessly. 

Sidon snaps. “I know! What if I get Bazz, as extra protection? He can specifically watch over Zelda, that way there’s someone focused on her first and not secondary to my father. I know you like Bazz, don’t you trust him?” 

It’s true, Link does like Bazz. And he feels something akin to trust, he supposes. Not all the way, but enough to feel safe leaving Zelda in his hands for ten, twenty minutes. So he nods, and watches as Sidon makes his way over to Bazz, at the bottom of the stairs. Sidon begins talking to him with a serious expression, Bazz nodding along. It occurs to Link that he should probably tell Zelda he’s leaving, and his palms start sweating a bit. He knows logically that Zelda won’t be mad, but a small part of him thinks she’ll feel betrayed or alone. Walking into the throne room, he finds her engaged in conversation with Muzu. He hesitates a second before reaching out and tugging on the sleeve of her blouse. 

She turns around, face melting into a small smile when she notices it’s him. “Oh, Link!” she says. “Muzu here was telling me some fascinating information about Zora physiology and shock arrows…” She drifts off, turning back to Muzu almost without realizing it, and Link tugs on her sleeve again. 

It’s a little hard to talk still in front of people he doesn’t really like or trust, so he finds himself dropping the volume of his voice to almost a whisper and going to simple sentences. “Leaving with Sidon. Won’t go far. Leaving a friend as… extra protection.” He shunts a sideways glance at Muzu, but he needn’t have bothered. The old Zora is as self-absorbed as always and not even paying attention to their conversation. 

Zelda smiles again, a little quirk of her lips. “Thank you, Link, for thinking to tell me, but it’s really not necessary. Go have fun with your friends! I would be joining you, if it were for all… this.” She waves a hand at the throne room, somehow encompassing, ‘telling the father of a dead friend how she died and also is still kind of a spirit haunting/piloting a great mechanical beast’ in one gesture. He feels a faint pang of remorse that he’s leaving her to deal with this alone, but then he spots Bazz enter the room and Sidon’s bright red fins lurking in the distance and he just can’t stand being in the room anymore, mumbling a quick “Okaythanksbye” as he rushes out of the room. He catches Zelda’s faintly surprised expression as he goes. 

He catches up with Sidon, who is still smiling, and he briefly hates him for being so _happy_ and _gentle_ and then he hates himself for even thinking that, because Sidon has been such a rock for him that to think badly of him is borderline blasphemous. Link just feels _bad_ all of a sudden, like his skin’s a size too small, pinching him in tender places. He knows his cheeks are red, too, embarrassed from his regression in the throne room. He can take down a Lynel naked with just a tree branch as a weapon, but speaking in front of people is too hard for him. He feels pathetic and small. 

“Let’s go,” he growls at Sidon, glad at least that speaking to him is easy. 

Sidon lays a soft hand on his shoulder and begins walking, Link keeping pace at his side. “I was going to show you something, but you seem a little tense-” and Link almost pushes him off just for that, he’s really not in the mood, “-so I’ll just take you somewhere to relax a little bit!” Link sighs, but he really does trust Sidon, despite it all, so he follows him without a word. 

“Don’t worry, Link,” he says, squeezing his shoulder gently before grabbing his hand, instead, and moving into a run. “I know just the place!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowie! i haven't written anything in so long and then i finish botw and write 1.7k words for this dumb zelda game at 2 am. anyways. this fic will include: 
> 
> 1) lots of zelda (because i love her dearly)  
> 2) zelda and link's friendship (because i love their friendship dearly and think they understand each other better than anyone in the world)  
> 3) sidon and link's relationship (incredibly slow burn, because that's the way i roll)  
> and 4) shamelessly made up lore (because there's a lot of grey area in loz and i'll just do my own thing, k?) 
> 
> this is just something fun to keep me busy and i have only the vaguest idea of a plot so join me on this wild ride! title taken from macbeth by willy shakes. the full quote is "as two spent swimmers that do cling together," which i think is a perfect encapsulation of zelda and link both being strangers in a world that has moved on without them and only having each other as a guide and confidante. love them! 
> 
> that's all! thanks for reading, bye <3


	2. chapter two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidon Does His Best, the chapter.

Sidon takes him to East Reservoir Lake. Ever since Vah Ruta moved, it’s just a clear, wide open lake, but the Zora still avoid it. Habit, Link supposes. For their purposes, it works, because they have the whole beautiful lake all to themselves. Sidon gestures out onto the open expanse with a flourish. 

“Let’s go swimming!” he says, beaming. 

Link crinkles his nose. “How is swimming supposed to calm me down?” 

“You can ride on me!” Sidon explains. “Just lay back and let me guide you while you take a short rest. Hylia knows you deserve it.” 

Link pauses. That’s actually… a really nice idea. He summons the Zora armor from the slate and puts it on, storing the rest of his equipment in the slate for safe keeping. Clipping the slate back on his belt, he turns back towards Sidon, who is looking a little green around the gills. Link cocks his head to the side. “Okay, let’s go,” he says. “You alright?” 

Sidon laughs it off. “Yes, of course! Let me just… find a position you’ll be comfortable in.” He executes a neat dive off the pier and resurfaces on his back. “Here, jump on!” he says, patting his stomach with a hand. 

Link gingerly steps off the pier onto his front, struggling a little to maintain balance. Sidon isn’t slimy like a fish, but he is smooth- hard to grab onto. Link accidentally sticks a hand in a gill trying to lay down and Sidon lets out a quiet  _ oof _ . “Sorry, sorry,” Link says, wincing. 

“It’s quite alright,” Sidon says, grinning with those sharp teeth. “Here, let me just…” Sidon choreographs his movements, giving Link enough time to move out of the way or stop him if he needs to, and picks Link up to settle him on his chest. Link can feel himself blushing a little and hopes it isn’t too obvious. His brain is still a little stuck on how big Sidon’s hands are, how he moved him so easily, and is a little shocked when he looks up and they’re already nearly in the center of the lake. 

“Isn’t this nice?” Sidon says, lazily floating. Even carrying Link, he doesn’t seem to be exerting too much effort, and Link lets himself relax a little. Sidon is positioned perfectly so that Links lower body is submerged slightly in the cool water, but he can lay his face down on Sidon’s chest and not accidentally drown himself. Without even fully realizing it, he drifts in and out of light sleep, napping there on top of Sidon. Sidon just floats around in silence, occasionally making little comments that don’t require a response. Most of it is just nonsensical gossip from Zora’s Domain, but every so often he whispers a little compliment, and the combination of the nap, Sidon’s voice, and the water makes Link feel like he’s floating a little, lazy and carefree.  _ This must be what a Rito feels like _ , he thinks sleepily. 

After a while, Link is woken fully when he realizes they’ve made almost a full lap around the lake and are now back at the pier they started at. He shoots up, almost overbalancing and grabbing onto Sidon for purchase. Sidon grabs his hand to keep him steady, and Link fumbles with his other hand for his Sheikah slate. “Oh, fuck, what time is it?” he asks in alarm. “How long have we been out here?” He can feel his mind spinning into overtime, running through all the things that could’ve happened to Zelda while he was gone. 

Sidon grabs his other arm, preventing him from looking at his slate. “Please, Link, relax,” he says, wrinkling his brow. “Would I let you oversleep?” He smiles warmly at him. “It’s only been 20 minutes. Everything is perfectly fine.” 

“You don’t know that,” Link frets. “It’s not like there’s a time limit to evil.” To his surprise, that makes Sidon laugh a little, eyes crinkling up. 

“Oh, Link,” he says warmly. “I do so admire your wit.” The longer he stays  _ still smiling _ , the warmer Link’s cheeks feel. At the same moment, they both notice Sidon is still holding both of Link’s hands in his. Sidon drops his hands abruptly at the same time Link scrambles backwards a little. In his haste, he ends up going straight over Sidon’s side into the water, breaking the moment utterly. He pops above water, spitting a mouthful of it out. Sidon laughs again and Link snorts too. He never feels like Sidon is laughing  _ at  _ him. More like with him at how ridiculous this situation is. 

They both hoist themselves over the side of the pier, Link glad to be back on dry land. He switches clothes back and Sidon tactfully turns his head to the side. 

“Well, there was actually one more thing I wanted to show you, Link,” he says, still with his head turned to the side. Link finishes buckling his tunic. “It won’t take too much time.” 

“Okay, I’m decent, you can turn around,” Link says. “And okay, whatever you want.” The knee jerk panic has faded by now, chased away by the warm of the sun and Sidon’s laugh. Just being with Sidon makes everything else feel a little less urgent, a little more far away. 

“Ah, perfect!” Sidon beams. He grabs Link’s hand and leads him over to the little covered awning by the edge of the pier. Along with the usual out of place bed, a cooking pot has been set up, a little fire under it. Next to it, a makeshift table stands with a variety of ingredients and cooking utensils. Link is abruptly and utterly delighted. Cooking is one of the few hobbies he has that’s entirely  _ him _ , that he doesn’t do because it’s important or life saving or even necessary. To feed himself, all he needs to do is eat an apple or throw some meat on the fire for a couple minutes. But  _ cooking _ , coming up with recipes and testing what works and what doesn’t, is an art that he enjoys. 

Sidon drops his hand, going over to the table and beginning to pull out a few bowls. “See, I tried to follow that recipe you left for me last time,” he says regretfully, “but it ended up slightly… charred. I thought if you showed me how to do it in person it would go more smoothly!” He gives his signature beam, but this time Link’s smile is almost as wide. 

“Yes,” Link says rapturously. “Absolutely.” 

He begins to show Sidon how to make mushroom rice balls, how to clean the rice and saute the mushrooms. They hit a small snag when it’s time to shape the balls and Sidon’s claws slice clean through, causing him to look at Link with a helpless and devastated look on his normally cheery face. Link laughs so hard he thinks he might be sick, causing Sidon to thump him on the back hastily. Of course, he’s still holding half a ruined rice ball and sticky rice goes everywhere, including all over Link. Sidon begins to apologize profusely, but Link just laughs harder. Originally, when Link wrote out the recipe for Sidon, he made it so that there would be about 10 finished rice balls, thinking that Sidon would definitely eat a lot more than him. In the end, Link and Sidon only have three actual rice balls. But the ones that they do have look very nice, not scorched at all. Even Sidon, examining his own ball with a critical eye, can find no faults with it. 

Sidon beams, delighted with the finished product. “These look excellent, Link! I’m sure they’ll be delicious. And look! We can even bring one to Zelda!” At the mention of Zelda, real life comes rushing back in and Link’s stomach drops for the second time. They’ve definitely been gone for more than an hour now. 

“Yes, we should go bring it to her now,” Link says, trying not to show any of the instinctual panic on his face. Sidon must see it anyway, because instead of trying to deflect or cheer up like he usually does, he simply lets Link herd them back to Zora’s Domain, the rice balls wrapped up in a cloth and placed in a small basket. Link is back to fretting, berating himself for getting so caught up in cooking he ignored how much time he was spending away from his job, but Sidon doesn’t let him get too caught up in his thoughts. Every time Link is getting too far into his own mind, Sidon gently nudges his arm or asks some innocent question to get him out of his own head. 

That works to distract Link for the whole walk back to the Domain, and Link is almost relaxed again by the time they reach the borders. They’re halfway up the stairs when the normally quiet air of the Domain is shattered by an earsplitting scream. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to everybody for reading the first chapter! sorry this one took a little time to write, but it's pretty long and overtly shippy, so hopefully that's a nice treat. hope u all enjoy this chapter and remember to kudos, bookmark, comment, etc. seeing that makes me so inspired to write more and write faster <3 sorry for the troll-y, cliffhanger-y ending lol. i promise no one dies (yet).


	3. chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things that are hard to hear but need to be said.

Link feels his heart drop out of his stomach. He doesn’t even remember moving- It’s like the world blurs and all of the sudden he’s standing at the top of the stairs with his sword drawn. He’s prepared for carnage, something terrible, the red splash of blood and Yiga uniforms, but the first thing he sees is Zelda. She’s perfectly fine, and she’s got her head thrown back, laughing. She’s holding onto the arm of another woman, who’s laughing helplessly and rubbing her own backside. Squinting, Link thinks he recognizes her. It’s that girl Traysi who runs the gossip mill. Last time he saw her, she was in Gerudo Town, but now she’s standing in Zora’s Domain. 

Now that his brain isn’t sensing any threats, he calms down enough to put his sword away. He’s still shaking a little bit, adrenaline still flooding his system. He opens his mouth to ask what’s going on but nothing comes out. He tries again and ends up saying, much louder than he means to, “What happened?” It’s a borderline shout, and half the people in the area turn to look at him, making him internally cringe. Zelda and Traysi are two of those people, and Zelda’s eyes go wide when she sees him, set in a battle stance. She instantly drops Traysi’s arm and comes over to meet him, asking, “What’s the matter?” 

Link stares at her. “I heard… I thought…” 

“Oh! No, that wasn’t me,” Zelda explains. “Traysi tripped on the stairs and almost fell down, that’s why she screamed. I caught her, though, so everything’s alright.” Link’s breathing heavily. “Link? Everything’s alright.” Zelda places a hand on his shoulder in a soothing gesture. It doesn’t really work, but he appreciates the thought. Zelda looks more than a little concerned, taking a hold of his arm and beginning to steer him away from the small crowd that’s gathered. He numbly follows. He can’t seem to get his heart or breathing under control and it’s starting to freak him out. 

Sidon catches up to them. “Link! Queen Zelda! May I-” 

“No, you may not,” Zelda says crisply, sounding very queenly. “My knight and I would like to be alone for a while. We’re retiring to our rooms.” 

“Oh.” Sidon stands there, looking a little forlorn, and gives Link a little wave as they gain more ground without him. Link feels bad, but is grateful that Zelda sent him away for now. He doesn’t think he could handle Sidon right now, as bad as it sounds.

Zelda leads him across one of the bridges exiting the main structure in Zora’s Domain and Link sends her a questioning look. Interpreting his unspoken question, she says, “King Dorephan had Muzu show me a chamber where visiting Hyrule royalty used to stay when visiting the Domain, ages ago. It’s set into one of the caves over here, for privacy.” She snorts. “A concept that is not familiar to the Zora. Isn’t it fascinating how their cultural norms differ from Hylians? They have a very communal society. Muzu showed me their sleeping pools, and it’s just incredible how they all sleepy out in the open like that!” She continues on about the cultural differences and Link lets the chatter just wash over him. Something about Zelda’s passionate babbling is calming, and he feels his heart rate start to go down. 

They stop by a sheer cliffside, and Zelda uses a token carved out of a Luminous Stone to open a hidden door. The room is fairly spacious, with a kitchen and a living area, and a small hallway leads off to what Link assumes is the bedroom. The area keeps the distinct Zora style while incorporating somes Hylian aspects, too. Zelda sits Link down on the couch and sits down next to him, keeping a small distance. 

She’s silent for a moment, a serious twist to her mouth. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” she says. “We can just sit here and decompress for a moment.” Another beat of silence passes and she adds, unsure, “Or, if you want to be alone-” 

  
“No,” Link says immediately. 

Zelda sighs. “Okay. Then we can just sit here.” 

And they do. When the silence starts to feel suffocating instead of comforting, Link says, “I’m sorry.” 

She looks confused. “For what?” 

“I shouldn’t have left you today,” he says, guiltily. “You didn’t get hurt this time, but you could’ve. I won’t leave again.” He looks down at his lap, threading his fingers together. 

Zelda smacks his arm, hard, and he looks at her in surprise. She looks like a complicated mix of surprised and horrified. “Of course you should’ve left!” she says, frowning. “You deserve to have fun with your friends, Link.” 

“But you could’ve gotten hurt-” 

“Yes,  _ but I didn’t _ ,” she enunciates clearly. “Why make yourself sick worrying about something that hasn’t even happened yet? Besides, you know I carry a sword now. I can take care of myself.” 

Link stares at her helplessly. “But it’s my job to protect you!” 

Zelda’s face suddenly crumples, and to Link’s horror he can see tears shining in her big green eyes. “Oh, Link,” she says, her voice dropping. “I dont… I don’t want you to feel solely responsible for me, alright? It’s not your job.” 

“But-” 

“We’re a  _ team _ ,” she says in a voice that allows no arguments. “Alright?” 

He doesn’t respond. She sighs, looking forlorn. “I just want you to be happy, okay?” she says in a small voice. “If you really want to try to do something for me, you can do that.” She grabs his hand and he instinctively looks up at her. “Don’t you get it, Link? We’re both so young, and yet we’ve been through so much! We should… we  _ deserve _ to be happy, for Hylia’s sake!” she says fiercely. She says it with so much force that Link almost believes her. 

“I’ll try,” he says after a long moment of silence. “It’s just. Instinct.” 

Zelda squeezes his hand. “I know. I know it’s not easy. But that’s why I said we’re a team. I support you, and you support me. It’s not one way. You can lay your burdens on me, Link.” Her eyes shine bright, and not just because of the unshed tears. 

“I just…” He tries to explain, haltingly. “I thought I’d be less scared when it was all over. But now I have so much to lose that it’s even worse.” 

She gives his hand another squeeze and sighs. “I wish I could help you. But I’m just as scared and confused as you are, honestly,” she admits. “I don’t know how to help you with this.” 

He thinks about it for a moment. “Weirdly enough, that does help.” When she looks at him quizzically, he explains, “Just knowing that… you feel the same way. That I’m not alone. It helps.” 

“Good.” She sniffles a little bit and shuffles over to lean her head on your shoulder. It should be strange- for all intents and purposes, they still don’t know each other very well yet. But it just feels natural, and comforting, and he feels like he can finally breathe. 

A knock on the door makes Zelda lift her head and shoot a look in its direction. “Who could that be?” She picks herself up off the couch and goes over to open the door. From where he’s sitting, Link can’t see who’s on the other side, but the voice that comes through is instantly recognizable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops I Traumatized These Characters And Now I Have To Give Them Therapy I Am Not Qualified To Give 
> 
> more was supposed to happen in this chapter but with everything i wanted to happen it was just getting long and im impatient and just wanted to post it NOWWW
> 
> anyways not a lot of sidon in this chapter but i love zelda so much and she and link really needed to talk!!
> 
> huge thank you to anyone who gives kudos or leaves a comment. it really inspires me to know there are people out there who are enjoying this as much as i am lol


	4. chapter four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Introducing your crush to your best friend is a dangerous game.

“I’m so sorry to bother, Queen Zelda,” Sidon’s voice says. “I know you said Link didn’t want to be bothered and I absolutely respect that! However, he left this with me and I thought he’d like it back. If you could just take it and give it to him…?” 

It suddenly strikes Link that he dropped the basket with the rice balls when he panicked. He heaves himself off the couch with a great sigh and goes over to the door, because at the end of the day he really doesn’t mind seeing Sidon. 

Sidon visibly brightens when Link appears in the doorframe and thrusts the basket at him. “Link! My dearest friend! Are you feeling better? I didn’t want to let you forget your rice balls!” 

“Rice balls?” Zelda asks, sounding intrigued. 

Sidon turns his signature beam on her. “Yes, Your Highness! Earlier today Link and I made some rice balls. He’s such a talented cook! Oh, and we made one for you as well! Show her, Link!” 

Link feels himself smiling a little bit. He really can’t help it when he’s around Sidon. Something about him just lifts his spirits. “Okay,” he says, and lifts the lid of the basket. To his surprise, there are still three rice balls nestled in a little cloth. He looks up at Sidon, frowning. “You didn’t want to eat yours?” 

“No, no, I wanted to!” Sidon rushes to reassure him. “But…” He scratches the back of his head, looking bashful. “I thought you might want an extra to cheer you up.” 

It’s a sweet gesture, but unnecessary. Link scoffs, saying, “Don’t be ridiculous.” In a sudden rush of bravery, he lifts the rice ball to Sidon’s lips and holds it there. Sidon is so tall he has to get up on his tiptoes. “Have it,” he says, willing his face not to turn red. 

Sidon looks a little surprised, but he gamely takes the rice ball delicately between his sharp teeth. As Link withdraws his hand, one of his fingers scrapes a little against one of Sidon’s teeth, and he feels an involuntary shiver run through him. Luckily, Sidon doesn’t notice, swallowing the rice ball in one gulp. Link finds himself swallowing too. He risks a glance over at Zelda and almost laughs out loud, because she has the most ridiculous expression on her face. Her eyes are nearly bulging out of her skull, and when she notices Link looking at her they widen even more as she tilts her head slightly to the side in the universal “what the hell is going on” gesture. 

Sidon makes a pleased noise and they both turn back to him. “Delicious!” Sidon says, giving them his usual thumbs up. “But of course, everything Link makes is delicious.” His eyes are impossibly warm. “Thank you for helping me make them. I’ll leave you two alone to eat now.” 

“Wait,” Link blurts out. Both Sidon and Zelda look at him and he blushes a little bit. “I mean, you don’t have to go. You can stay.” 

“Really?” Sidon says, shunting a glance towards Zelda, which kind of pisses Link off a little. She’s not his nursemaid. “Are you sure you’re feeling better?” 

“Yes,” he says firmly. “Come in and talk to me and Zelda while we eat. I mean, if Zelda’s okay with it,” he hastily adds. 

She rolls her eyes at him. “Of course. Prince Sidon, I’ve actually been dying to ask you a few things,” she says, shifting onto the balls of her feet and bouncing up and down a bit. 

“Oh!” Sidon looks delighted. “Of course.” He has to duck awkwardly to get through the door, which is clearly built with Hylians in mind. 

They sit at the table, Sidon having to jam himself into the chair a little and hunch over to avoid scraping the ceiling with his head fin. Zelda and Link eat their rice balls while Sidon answers all of Zelda’s questions about Zora culture, and she has a lot. She’s curious about  _ everything _ , from the weather in the Domain to Zora royal protocol. Link is mainly content to sit and watch, head propped up in his hand. After his freakout earlier and the good food, he’s feeling pleasantly sleepy, and it’s nice to just sit back and watch his favorite two people interact. Sidon has clearly been trained for this, and he’s just as passionate about it as Zelda. He seems to genuinely want her to not just understand their culture, but to appreciate its beauty. 

“So there’s basically no privacy?” Zelda asks. “Everyone just sleeps out in the open?” 

“Well, yes,” Sidon responds, leaning as far forward as he can manage. “But it’s just part of our culture. There’s no need to shelter while we’re sleeping because we’re such an insular community that each person knows and trusts everyone else.” 

Zelda cocks an eyebrow in disbelief. “So you’re telling me that no one ever mistrusts their neighbor?” 

“It’s not like that,” Sidon argues. “There can be petty disagreements and small mistrusts, yes, but at the end of the day we trust that no one in our town has the intent to harm another person.” 

“I just have a hard time believing it,” Zelda scoffs a little, sitting back in her seat. 

“Just because you don’t believe it doesn’t make it untrue,” Sidon says sharply, fins flaring. 

There’s a beat of silence. Zelda says, “I’m sorry, I came off as dismissive. Of course it’s not untrue just because I don’t quite understand it yet.” She looks genuinely contrite. “I didn’t mean to come off that way. I think it’s a wonderful cultural trait and I really do wish Hylians were that kind and trusting to each other.” 

Sidon deflates a little. “Thank you, Your Highness,” he says, accepting her apology with a gentle nod of his head. “I know it can seem strange to outsiders, which is why I was… defensive.” He sighs. “And really, it’s not perfect. Our communities are so close and tight knit like this that it can be hard for us to accept outsiders. That’s why my father is working so hard to reach out to Hylians- he wants to preserve our traditions while also moving forward and creating new bonds. But our people are long-lived, and many are stuck in the past.” 

Zelda sighs, too. “It can be hard to be the new generation, can’t it?” 

Sidon looks at her like he’s seeing her for the first time. “Yes. It can be.” 

Link feels a sudden flare of jealousy. Sidon and Zelda have so much in common; they’re both royals, they both lived through the Calamity, and they both knew Mipha very well. Link with his tatters of memory just can’t compare. 

He abruptly feels his jaw split wide with a huge yawn. The sleepiness he felt earlier has sunk into his bones, and both Sidon and Zelda notice. Sidon stands up at once, comically unfolding himself from his chair and having to duck so he doesn’t hit the ceiling. 

“Link, you should have said something!” he scolds. “Of course you’re tired from today’s events. I’ll leave at once so you can get some rest.” Zelda stands up too and together Link and Zelda escort him to the door. Before he leaves, Sidon bows in Zelda’s direction. “This was truly lovely, Link, Your Highness. I hope we can all spend more time together before you leave the Domain!” 

Zelda regally inclines her head. “I would look forward to that, yes,” she says. “We’re only staying for a few more days, and I’m afraid I’ll be in meetings for most of them, but we’ll find something.” Her eyes twinkle. “You and Link will have to make me some more delicious meals, and we can all eat dinner together.” 

“That’s a splendid idea, Your Highness,” Sidon says, sounding absolutely genuine. They all say their goodbyes and Sidon turns to leave. Before the door and swing shut behind him, Link makes a decision and slips out the door after him. 

“Sidon,” he says. It’s quiet but it’s enough. Sidon instantly turns to face him. 

“What is it, Link?” he questions. 

Link’s face burns a little. “Listen, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I wasn’t in the best place, but both me and Zelda treated you a little harshly, and… yeah. I’m sorry.” 

Sidon looks a little affronted. “Link, you have nothing to be sorry for-” he starts, but Link cuts him off by holding up his hand. 

“No, listen, I know I have nothing to be sorry for,” he tries to explain. “But I am. Because you’re my friend and I know all you wanted to do was help. So I guess I’m not actually saying sorry, but thank you. For- for being my friend.” His face is burning red and he wants nothing more than to slink back inside, but he cements the gesture by hugging Sidon. Because of the height difference, he’s really hugging his abdomen and not much else, but it’s still nice. Especially when Sidon’s arms come around him and hesitantly reach up to run gentle claws though his hair. Link tilts his head up into the sensation, holding back a purr. 

He reluctantly disengages himself from Sidon and says, “Okay, that’s all. Bye.” and borderline sprints back into his and Zelda’s quarters even though they’re barely a foot away. Before he can close the door behind himself, he catches a glimpse of Sidon’s expression. Sidon is a smiley guy, but he has very specific smiles. Link has never seen this smile before. It’s something entirely new. 

Link closes the door with a quiet thunk and turns around to lean his back against it, dropping his head against the wood with a louder thunk. He closes his eyes and sighs, willing the color in his cheeks to go back to normal. 

“I would say that’s bad for your head, but you probably already have brain damage,” a wry voice says. 

Link opens his eyes to see Zelda grinning smugly at him, standing with one hand on a cocked hip. “So,” she says, in a very specific tone. 

“So, what?” Link asks, feigning innocence. 

“You know what!” 

“No, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“You’re impossible.” 

“Still don’t know what you’re talking about,” Link singsongs, pushing off against the door. “Anyways, I’ve had a very long day and I’m going to bed.”

He enters the bedroom hearing Zelda’s indignant voice behind him. “Okay, using that is not fair!” She pops her head in the doorway, faux outrage sliding right off her. “Hey, I’m gonna go out for just a little bit to talk to some of the locals. Are you going to be okay on your own?” 

By this point, he’s already tucked himself into bed, and is so cozy and sleepy and content under the covers that he’s having a hard time thinking. “I’ll be fine,” he says, another huge yawn cracking his jaw. “Go have fun.” 

Zelda smiles and gives a two finger wave before disappearing from view again, and he hears the front door open and shut quietly. His brain gives a valiant attempt to stay awake, alert, and anxious, but he’s just too comfortable. Not long after she leaves, he slides away into sleep easily. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is so delayed.... quarantine depression hit me hard!!! im feeling okay now, but for a couple weeks i was genuinely just creatively tapped out. but this chapter is pretty long so theres that!! 
> 
> i genuinely do think zelda and sidon have a lot in common and would make great friends, but dont worry. its not a love triangle. link is just speaking from the place of a guy w self esteem issues who thinks everyone is after his crush, because lbr, who wouldnt want sidon.... 
> 
> anyways thanks everyone for enjoying this fic, leaving kudos, commenting, etc! it really means a lot to me <3


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